William b



W. B. MASON Seal Look.

No. 229,003. Pa`tented June'22. |880.

WITNESSEE. A n n/EN TDR E 'MM fm@ N.PETERS. PHDTO-LJTHOGRAPMER, WASMIGTON. D l)4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MASON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE M. PATTEN, OF SAME PLACE. f

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,003, dated June 22A, 1880.

I Application iled November 27, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MASON, of Boston, in the county of Suolk and Gommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of seallocks which embraces the insertion of a sealblank or closing of the lock and the canceling of the sealby the opening thereof and it consists in the mechanism hereinafter described for this purpose. l

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a padlock embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central section thereof, showing the position of the operative parts of the lock when it is closed. Fig. 3 is a section uponv the same line, showing the position of the operative part of the lock when closed and in dotted lines when open. Fig. 4 is a cross section. Fig. 5 is a section upon the line .c m of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 are plans of the seal-blank.

It is very desirable for certain purposes, particularly for custom-house uses, for postoffice employment, and, in fact, for the securing of any article or valuable, to prevent locks beingtampered with or opened Without authority, and to provide some inexpensive and easy method by which the lock, when closed, cannot again be unlocked without destroying a seal or blank, which shall indicate that the lock has been so touched. Various means have been employed for efi'ectin g this purpose, and among the most common may be mentioned the use of a seal of 'plastic material molded upon the key-hole or over some slide covering the same, and the employment of glass and paper for protecting the key-hole or for indicating when the lock has been opened or tampered with. These methods, however,

are somewhat objectionable, owing to the liability of the seal being broken or displaced accidentally. j

In my invention the lock is automatically sealed upon being closed, and cannot be reopened until the seal is destroyed.

In the drawings the invention is shown as applied to a padlock. I do not, however, coniine myself to this particular use, as the same 5o combination of` elements for producing the `blank within the case.

same result may be used for any of the ordinary locks.

The hasp Ais provided with the notched tongue a, which engages with the tumblercatches a when locked. Thesetumbler-catches a are pivoted at a2 to the case A of the padlock. The springs a3, bearing against the recessed projections a4 on the lower end of the tumbler-catches, serve to keep the outer upper end of the catches in position to close into 6o the notch a5 in the tongue a. The stops a6 prevent the tumbler-catches from being thrown by the springs a3 too far into thepath of the tongue a.. A seal-locking bar, B, is pivoted at b to the case A' of they lock, and projects into the pathway of the tongue a when the hasp is unlocked, and by contact with the end of the hasp atb is thrown downwardly against the stress of the spring b2.

Hung upon the pivot b is therock-lever or locking-pawl G. This locking-pawl has an arm, o, which projects downwardly into the path of the key when the lock is open, as shown in dotted lines in the lower part of Fig. 3, and the position of the key is shown at C', Fig.'3. This locking-pawl is provided upon its arm c' with the projection c2, which bears upon the top of the locking-bar B. A spring,

c, acts to hold the locking-pawl in position` 8o with the projection c2 bearing upon the said locking-bar B.

When the hasp is locked the end of the arm c of the locking-pawl abuts against one or more of the upper edges of the tumblercatches at a". Y

A seal-supporting lever, D, is pivoted at d to the case of the lock, and is so hung that its upper'surface, d', may be iush with the lower surface of the seal-slot d2 in the case, to serve 9o as a bed in supportin g that portion of the seal- The arm d3 of this seal-supporting lever is formed so as to project over the key-hole d4 when the surface d -is flush with the seal-slot, as described. Projecting from the end of this arm d3 is the pin d5, which projects to `and enters the slotdin the case l A', in order that the end of the arm d3, which covers the inner end of the key-hole, may beY lifted in unlocking, as hereinafter described. roo

y closed upon its inner side.

Three tumbler-catches only are shown in the drawings; but more can be employed if necessary. Also, as many locking-pawls c may be used as desirable, although but one is shown in the drawings.

The seal E employed with this lock preferably is made of very thin annealedbrass; b'ut it may also be made of any other suitable material if provided with the tongue e and recesses e between the main portion of the blank and the tongue.

To seal the lock the tongue is inserted from the side F of the case through the seal-slot d3 in the cover of the case A2, which is on a line with the seal-slot d2, and is passed through the lock and projects from the seal-slot d2 upon the .other side. v

The shoulder E2 of the seal-blank comes in contact with the cover A2 when the seal is in position for locking. Within the lock the tongue is supported upon the face d of the seal-supporting lever, and the recess b3 in the locking-bar B is arranged to shut thereon. rlhe edge of the tongue shuts within the re cess d7, formed in the projection d8 of the side supporting-lever. The closing of the hasp A shuts the locking-bar B upon the seal, the recess 113 closing upon the tongue of the sealblank on the portion between the recesses e in the blank. rlhe walls b4 upon sides of the recess b3 in the locking-bar close into the re cesses e in the blank, and thereby securely lock the seal-blank in position within the lock, and it cannot be withdrawn therefrom without destroying it, because the shoulders forming the walls of the recesses e in the blank come in contact with the faces of the locking-bar b4 beyond the line of the recess b3. The tongue a5 of the hasp in closing throws back the tumbler-catches in its descent until it has closed sufficiently to permit them to spring back into the notch therein. In inserting the seal-blank the upper face of the seal-supporting lever D is brought in line with the under surfaces of the seal-slots d2 d3, and the key-hole d4 is The main portion'of the seal-blank may have impressed upon it such designating-marks as may be necessary, and is folded upon the cover A2 of the lock within the recess g, the bar g serving to hold the same in position within the recess. That portion of the tongue of the seal-blank which projects through the slot d2 is iirned downwardly against the case of the The projection h is provided with the groove h', which serves as a guide in directing the thrust of the key in unlocking.

I prefer to make the bottom and walls ofthe case A', containing the mechanism, in one casting or piece with the projection A3. To thisprojection I pivot the hasp A, as shown. 'Ihe hasp is further provided above the tongue ct with the projecting portions a8, which close upon the case and cover the hole therein in which the tongue projects when the same is lift the seal-supporting leverfroln the key-hole,

but not strong enough to lift the seal-supporting lever against the seal-blank with force enough to disturb the locking-seal.

It will be observed that the seal-blank has been properly inserted, but before the lock is closed 'that one edge of the tongue of the sealblank is held by a recess upon the seal-supporting lever, and that the portion of the tongue inclosed beneath the recesses e is underneath the recess b3 in the locking-bar B.

It will also be seen that in the.insertion of the seal-blank to this position the seal-supporting lever has assumed such a position that its arm d3 closes the key-hole. The lock is then in position to be closed.

It will be observed, further, that after the hasp is shut and the tumbler-catches have engaged with the notch in the tongue the locking-bar has closed upon the seal-blank and holds the same securely in place, as heretofore described.

It will further be seen that this locking-bar cannot be lifted until the hasp is withdrawn as the end of the hasp-tongue bears upon the end of the locking-bar.

It will also be seen that when the lockingpawl G locks behind one or more of the tumbler-catches a', and is held in that position by the spring c3, no jar or shaking of the lock can throw the tumbler-catches out and allow the hasp to be withdrawn, and also that if the lo'eking-pawl is thrown back accidentally or intentionally the tumbler-catches cannot be shaken from the notch in the hasp unless the locking-seal is removed, as said seal bears against their inner edge sufciently to prevent them from being displaced or thrown back by concussion or jar.

EIt will also be noticed that this locking-pawl Ghas an arm, o, which projects into the path of the key when the lock is closed.

The seal-slots areso placed in relation to the tumbler-catches that when the tumblercatches are closed one edge of the tongue of the seal bears against the edge of one or more of the tumbler-catches and prevents their being thrown back to release the tongue of the hasp until the seal-blank has been withdrawn.

The locking-bar B holds the locking-pawl away from the behind tumbler-catches when the lock is open.

The hasp is secured to the case in the manner indicated, in order that no other openings into the case may be made than are actually necessary for the purpose of working the lock. The lock can be opened only by destroying the IOO IIO

IIS

seal by tearing off the broad part of the blank and withdrawing the tongue from the opposite side of the case. This enables the seal-supportinglever to be thrown back and the key to be inserted. If, when the lock is closed with the seal inserted, it were possible to throw back vthe seal-supporting lever, so that the key-hole would be opened and the locking-pawl thrown back, it would still be impossible to open the lock without removing the seal, as one edge ofthe tongue of the seal bears against one or. more of the tumbler-catches, and 4therefore they could not be thrown back until that obstruction was removed.

In some instances the locking-bar may shut somewhat below the level ofthe upper surface of the seal-supporting lever D in locking the seal, in which case it would clamp the tongue of the seal between its lower inner edge and the upper outer edge of the seal-supporting lever. It is necessary to have the locking-bar as close to the cover of the case as possible, in order th at the weakest portion of the seal-blank (which of necessity is that part embraced by the locking-bar) may be as near the tag end of the blank as possible, in order that in unsealing the seal may be severed 0r torn apart between the recesses e.

Having fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. The combination of one or more tumblercatches with a locking-seal, adapted and arranged in relation to said tumbler catch or catches substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of a locking-bar, a sealsupporting lever, and a locking-seal, all arranged in relation to each other substantially as and for the purposes described.

3 The combination of one or more tumblercatches, a locking-bar, a seal-supportin g lever, and a locking-seal, all arranged in relation to each other to operate substantially as described.

4. The combination of one or more tumblercatches, a locking-bar, a seal-supporting lever, and a locking-pawl, all arranged to operate in relation to each other substantially as described.

5. The combination of a locking-bar, a locking-seal, and a seal-supporting lever provided with an arm, d3, which shall close the key-hole of the lock when the locking-seal is in position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination of one or more tumblercatches having arms extended into the keyway, a locking-pawl arranged toautomatically lock one or more of the tumbler-catches, as set forth, and provided with an arm projecting into the keyway, and a seal-supporting lever provided with an arm closing the key-hole when the seal is in position, all arranged in relation to each other to operate substantially as described.

7. The combination of the movable. sealsupporting surface d', the `seal-locking bar provided with the recess b3 within the case A, and the seal-slots d2 d3 in said case, all arranged in relation to each other substantially as described.

8. The combination of a seal provided with recesses e', the seal-supporting surface d', the movable seal-locking bar B, and the case A, provided with seal-slots d2 d3, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the seal-bearin g lever, having the arm cl3, the pin d5, and slot d6, all arranged in relation to each other substantially as and for the purposes described. Y

10. In a seal-lock, the combination of one or more tumbler-catches, adapted to automatically engage with the hasp and to be operated only by the key or on closing the hasp by the free end of the hasp, as a device to lock the hasp, with a seal-locking bar adapted to be actuated by the free end of the hasp as a device for locking the seal and hasp of said lock, and with its case provided with sealslots, substantially as described.

1l. rEhe combination of the hasp-engaging devices, the locking-plate B, and its spring with the locking-pawl U and its spring, the

said locking-plate so adjusted in relation t0 the locking-pawl that when unlocked the locking-plate shall support the lcking-pawl and prevent the same from falling into position behind the hasp-engaging devices, substantially as and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM B. MASON. Witnesses:

Trios. WM. CLARKE, A. J. OETTINGER. 

